Local elite including leaders of different political parties at a press conference at Shyamnagar yesterday demanded withdrawal of Election Commission's (EC) draft gazette notification on delimitation of Satkhira-5 (Shyamnagar upazila) with Satkhira-3 (Assassuni) constituencies.

They alleged that as per the proposed delimitation, Satkhira-5 constituency has been abolished and added to Satkhira -3 constituency. Local leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami did not attend the press conference.

With abolition of Satkhira -5 constituency, the district will have four constituencies in stead of five earlier, they said

The EC’s decision to abolish the Satkhira-5 constituency and adding it to Satkhira-3 constituency is 'a painful decision' for the people of Shyamnagar upazila which cover 1968 square kilometer area. This is the biggest upazila considering its population, they said.

They urged the EC not to redemarcate the constituencies and to retain the existing five constituencies in Satkhira district.

Former Awami League (AL) lawmaker AK Fazlul Haque read out a written statement on behalf of the people and political leaders at the press conference.

He said there were 1, 75,172 voters in Shyamnagar upazila in the voter list prepared ahead of 2001 parliamentary polls. "Where as there were 1,47,680 voters in

2001 elections in Bagerhat-4 constituency and 1,42,042 voters in Jessore-6 constituency in 2001 elections but these two constituencies have been retained in the draft EC notification.

"The EC on April 29 unveiled a draft delimitation of constituencies by abolishing Satkhira-5 constituencywhile retaining Bagerhat-4 and Jessore-6 constituencies", he said.

They said the distance between Shyamnagar upazila headquarters and Assassuni upazila headquarters is about 50 kilometers and there is no direct road between the two upazilas. People will face numerous problems if theses two constituencies are merged into one, they said. They said they vyill submit a written objection to EC regarding th^fC's decision.

Among others Shyamnagar Mahsin College principal Osman Gani, Atarjan Mahila College principal Ashek E Elahi, Gobindapur Collegiate school principal Shafiqul Islam, Noabeki College principal Abdul Mazed, Shyamnagar upazila BNP convenor Master Abdul Wahed, district AL vice-president Anowar Hossain, Muktijoddha Sangsad deputy commander Abdul Mazid, Padmapukur Union Parishad (UP) chairman Amjadul Haque. Bhurulia UP chairman Liakat Hossain, Kashimari UP chairman Anisuzzaman, Advocate Abu Bakar Siddique, social worker Afjalul Haque, Kendriya Alia Madrasha principal Ismail Hossain also spoke at the press conference.